The Baltimore Ravens face more bad news following Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals: Patrick Mekari suffered an ankle injury and will miss some time this season.
The Ravens ‘right tackle limped off the field in the second quarter of the game and headed to the locker room.
Recent reports now confirm Mekari’s injury with no timeline yet of when he might recover.
#Ravens RT Patrick Mekari suffered a high-ankle sprain yesterday, source said. He’s seeking more feedback and the team is assessing its options heading into the bye week, but another injury on the O-line.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 25, 2021
Mekari has played every offensive snap since Week 2 and plugged in admirably at right tackle. Following Ronnie Stanley’s season-ending injury, Alejandro Villanueva slid over to left tackle to make way for Mekari on the right side.
Second-year pro and 2020 third-round selection Tyre Phillips stepped in to replace Mekari in Sunday’s game.
Phillips is a solid backup who can play both guard and tackle (he started Week 1 at left guard), but behind Phillips, the Ravens are running desperately low on quality offensive tackle options.
Baltimore still has Andre Smith, David Sharpe, and a few other practice squad players, but no one they would feel particularly confident in taking over starting tackle duties.
Baltimore Ravens: Who can step up for Patrick Mekari at right tackle?
With the NFL trade deadline coming up, the Ravens might want to consider a trade to boost their offensive line.
Considering their push for a playoff run, too, the Ravens have more reason to scour the market for a starting-caliber tackle to compete with Phillips or simply provide depth.
Philadelphia Eagles left tackle Andre Dillard makes the most sense and has already drawn strong interest from other teams also in need of a tackle. Dillard’s best game, as graded by PFF, was in Week 3 when he matched up against Dallas’ star linebacker Micah Parsons.
But Dillard has been inconsistent all season and hasn’t proven himself as a long-term starter for the Eagles. If Philly is truly moving on from their 2019 No. 22 draft pick, Baltimore could at the very least give them a call.
The actual possibility of a Dillard trade working out remains low due to the Ravens’ lack of sufficient cap space, but Dillard is too good of a pickup to not explore that option.
The Ravens are no stranger to injuries devastating their roster and have arguably suffered the most in that area out of all NFL teams.
So far, the Ravens have rebounded from their lineup losses in a huge way, going 5-2 to start the season and securing a couple of dominant victories against Super Bowl contenders.
After their most recent defeat at the hands of the surprisingly good Cincinnati Bengals, though, it’s back to the drawing board for Baltimore’s coaches.
Given Patrick Mekari’s injury update, it might also be time for the Ravens to upgrade their offensive line before it’s too late.